#CreateCourage: Rogue One’s Most Heartwarming Ad

The Star Wars saga has had its share of courageous moments, with heroes facing seemingly insurmountable odds and coming out on top. Even when hope seems lost, the members of the Republic and the Rebellion have always stood against the darkness and trusted that the light would win out in the end. In the spirit of this, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has a new ad that celebrates courage in an unexpected way. Though it seems a bit odd and even funny in places, it ends up being the most touching and heartwarming ad that’s been released for the movie to date.

The ad, seen above, focuses not on the action of Rogue One but instead follows a pair of schoolchildren as they go about their day. One of the two wears a Star Wars hoodie with a hood that looks like a helmet, while the other wears a full-on Stormtrooper helm. In school, riding bikes (with cardboard fins to make one look like a speeder bike) and even watching a projection of Rogue One, the Stormtrooper helmet stays in place. It’s not until the end that we find out exactly why the child wears the helm everywhere.

The Rogue One ad was made in partnership with Globe Telecom as part of the #CreateCourage campaign, which aims to inspire the world while raising funds for the rehabilitation of the Philippine General Hospital’s pediatric ward. The Rogue One tie-in is intended to raise awareness for the campaign to assist with rehabilitation efforts. The rehabilitation is intended to improve facilities for children with a number of conditions, up to and including pediatric cancer.

Fans can take part in the campaign by taking pictures of themselves wearing a Stormtrooper helmet or use photo-editing software to make themselves look like a Stormtrooper and then share the photo on social media with the #CreateCourage and #RogueOnePH hashtags. A caption on the picture also needs to explain what they create the courage to do. Those who share the pictures are eligible to win movie tickets, gift packs and other prizes (including a trip to Star Wars Celebration in Florida); more details on the contest can be found here.

This isn’t the first time that Star Wars has been involved with charitable causes; Star Wars Force for Change is involved with a number of different charitable causes, including UNICEF and Toys for Tots. It’s telling of the power of the Star Wars brand that it can bring so much notoriety to important causes, even in other parts of the world. Of course, a well-made commercial that plucks on the heartstrings doesn’t hurt, either.

For those who are interested in the #CreateCourage campaign and potentially winning one of the Star Wars prizes that it offers, the contest runs through December 31st. Some minor prizes are already being selected, though these are for general prize packs and movie tickets (since Rogue One comes out before the 31st). All other prizes will be announced on January 3, 2017.